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RhythmicWords AndComping

• Rhythmic Words• Time Signatures• Rhythmic Reading• Metering Rhythmic Audio Memories• Hearing Beat Subdivisions• Hearing Rhythmic Words• Four-Pulse Rhythmic Words• Three-Pulse Rhythmic Words• Six-Pulse Rhythmic Words• Hearing Pickups And Pushes• First Comping Rhythms• Kick And Snare Rhythms• Comping Rhythm

RHYTHMIC WORDS

Sensing A Regular PulseMost music is based on a regular pulse or beat. The rate of this pulse or beat is measured in beats per minute and is called the tempo. Most listeners can sense the pulse with ease and are accustomed to taping their foot, snapping their fingers or moving their torsos (dancing) in time with the beat (pulse).

Selecting From A Regular Pulse

ducks in an arcade analogy

Imagine shooting ducks (fake ones, to re-assure you bird lovers) in an arcade. A conveyor belt rotates past your field of vision with mounts attached to it at regular intervals (equal distances apart). Each mount has a duck attached to it with a hinge, but most of them have the duck folded back, so it is out of view. Occasionally, a duck is flipped forward, toward you, on its hinge. It is your goal to respond and pull the trigger and project a bullet onto the duck.

To accurately shoot a duck on the conveyor, you need to focus straight ahead at a fixed point where the conveyor passes by your field of vision. While you focus on the fixed point, you also have peripheral vision to help you anticipate and predict precisely when a duck will arrive at your focal point. Relax your mind previous to seeing a duck peripherally. When you see a duck peripherally, wait until just before the duck will pass by your focal point to heighten your attention. This will give you the highest power of concentration.

In targeting the performance of a note (or chord) at a specific point in time, you think in terms of counted pulses to anticipate and predict. You keep the number of the beat (or its subdivision, such as the third quarter) in mind as your focal point. Like with the duck, when you sense your counting is peripherally nearing the targeted beat (or subdivision), wait until just before the target to heighten your attention.

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Dividing The Pulse Evenly

dividing time into regular intervals

Humans have a great ability to divide short periods of time similar to the pace of walking into two, three or four equal periods. Our concepts of rhythm in music are based on this ability. We use three basic math operations in notating music rhythmically: halving, multiplying by one and a half and dividing into a specified number of equal subdivisions. These could be called halving, dotting and tuplets.

beats and bars

Beats are pretty much analogous to footsteps in walking or running. Beats are usually regular pulses of time. Beats are usually thought in regular groups called bars. The most typical number of beats per bar is four. Bars of three and six are also common, twelve a little less common. Other numbers of beats per bar are more rare.

dividing the beat into any number of equal parts

Each beat can be divided into equal parts, most commonly two, three or four parts. Halving can divide the beat into two parts. Halving again can divide it into four parts. Dividing the beat into three parts creates triplets.

Halving, Dotting And Tuplets

halving

The most basic rhythmic notation involves a series of values that keep cutting the duration in half. The upper number on a time signature such as “3/4” indicates the number of beats per regular period, where each period is called a bar.

The lower number on a time signature indicates the value of the whole note. Whatever number of beats is assigned to a whole note, half that number is assigned to a half note, one fourth as many beats to a quarter note, one eighth as many to an eighth note, and so on.

dotting

Dotting multiplies any note durations in the “halving” system by 1.5, making the value half again as much. A note value of two beats becomes three when dotted. A note value of a half a beat becomes three quarters of a beat when dotted, and so on.

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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tuplets

With tuplets, the number of divisions previously agreed for a period of time is changed. A modern expression of tuplets is specifically indicate the new number of notes played in place of the original number of notes with two numbers separated by a colon, such as “3:2” to indicate three notes in the time of two.

Triplets. Where a period of time was previously divided into two parts, an enclosing notation like a bracket with the number “3” can indicate that it should be divided into three parts instead.

Duplets. Where a period of time was previously divided into three parts, an enclosing notation like a bracket with the number “2” indicates the beat should be divided into two parts instead.

Other tuplets. Triplets and duplets are tuplets, and all other changes of division are also called tuplets.

Counting time

traditional counting syllables

Count beats with whole numbers, such as four beat bars counted: “1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4” etc. Divide beats into two parts by speaking “and” after each number. In written form the “and” may be shown as the mathematical plus symbol (“+”): “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +”.

Up until about 1970, we used a lowercase ampersand to notate the “and” more commonly than the “+” symbol, but the lowercase ampersand is no longer included in our typographical characters. It was drawn as follows:

Three parts per beat should be counted with each beat number, followed by the syllables “trip” and “let”: “1 trip let 2 trip let three trip let four trip let”.

Four parts per beat are counted “1, e, and, a, 2, e, and, a” etc., written “1 e + a 2 e + a”.

Other divisions of the beat, such as five or six parts can be counted with an entire set of numbers for each beat, such as counting “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” during a beat to represent its five parts.

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Rhythmic Words DefinedUltimately, you should be able to look at the music notation of groups of two to eight notes and know their sound. This requires memorizing the short units of rhythm I call rhythmic words.

The process of learning a rhythmic word should begin with counting, so you map out the values of each note. Then, in transitioning to knowing the sound of the rhythmic word you vocalize it, including sounds to represent those pulses in a regular group of pulses that are silent or sustained.

Rhythm can be thought of in a digital sense as selections from regular groups of pulses, such as four per beat (where the beats are regularly spaced in time as well). In this digital sense, each pulse is one of three things: on, off, or hold.

vocalizing rhythm with “Ba Ahh Um Bop” Syllables

Phrases of music that are based on equal divisions of the beat, such as half beats, can be conceived in terms of on, off and hold. When a note or chord is played, that’s an “on”. When that note or chord is sustained (continued through one or more additional pulses without stopping), it is a “hold”. When there is a silence, it is an “off:. In music notation, rests indicate “offs”.

To vocalize regular pulses, I use “ba” for “ons”, “ahh” for “holds” (continuing the same breath for the “ba” that preceded it, but surging the breath) and “umm” for “offs”. Additionally, I often use “bop” for the last note before an “off ” (remember, an off is a rest).

To get started, a simplified version of vocalizing can use just “ba” for “ons and “umm” for rests or holds. Once you are comfortable with the simplified “ba” and “umm” system, you can add “ah” and “bop”.

Changing Rhythmic Level. In counting whole beats, say in 4/4, you can count “1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.”

Counting half beats can use “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +, etc.”

Where no note occurs on an “and” (+), it can be unspoken, as long as a space in time is left for it. So, in changing from whole beats to half beats (one bar after the other), you can count: “1, 2, 3, 4, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +”.

The Rhythmic Level Game. In this game, the leader would count regular bars with whole numbers, randomly speaking “and” after some of the numbers, but always leaving a space in time for the “and”. In time with the next beat after the leader completes a bar, the follower resumes by attempting to replicate the leaders bar. If the follower fails, the leader would resume with the same bar again. This would repeat until the follower replicates the bar.

The Follower Fails. The game is not necessarily to only test the leader, because if the follower fails (which they may do intentionally), the leader must be prepared to replicate their bar again.

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Mixed Rhythmic Levels. The game can similarly be played with triplets or sixteenths. Sixteenths are typically four parts per beat. It can even mix two, three and four parts per beat, which can become difficult.

Omitting Redundant Vocalizations. Through the Rhythmic Level Game, you can learn to omit redudant parts of a beat. If a rhythm involves two parts per beat by having whole beat notes on each of the first three beats, then a pair of half beat notes on the fourth beat, you could simply count “1, 2, 3, 4, +”, as long as you are leaving a space in time for each of the unspoken “ands” after 1, 2 and 3.

Swing Eighths And Swing Sixteenths. Swing eighths and swing sixteenths change the ratio of pairs of notes from two halves to two-thirds and one third.

When counting swing eighth pairs, an unplayed pulse has to be inserted between each pair of notes. Rather than counting “1, and, 2, and”, etc., you would begin by counting “1, um, and, 2, um, and”, etc. Once you are speaking the syllables evenly, you would progressively fade out and then omit the “um” syllables, but leave a space in time for them.

Swing sixteenths would be counted in groups of four with an unplayed pulse has to be inserted between each pair of notes. Rather than counting “1, e, and, a, 2, e, and, a” evenly, you could first speak “um” after each number and after each “and”, making “1, um, e, and, um, a, 2, um, e, and, um, a”, etc., then omitting the “ums”, leaving the original “1, e, and, a, 2, e, and, a”, but with a one pulse space (equal to the syllables) between “1, e” and between “and, a” (same for each beat, such as between “2, e” and between “and, a).

TIME SIGNATURESMusic is divided into regular units called bars. In common time, there are four beats to a bar. The top number on a time signature tells you how many notes there are per bar. The bottom number gives you the value in beats for the whole note. The half note gets half as much. The quarter note gets one quarter as much, and so on, in a system of halving. See the halving chart on the next page.

1 2 3 4 11 22 33 4 1 2 3 4 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 +

4

4

3

4

3

4

6

8

6

8

&

&

&

w ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ

˙ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

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RHYTHMIC READING

Halving

name single beamed rest calculation x⁄4 value x⁄8 value x⁄2 value

whole w all of whole note 4 beats 8 beats 2 beats

half h ¹⁄2 of whole note 2 beats 4 beats 1 beat

quarter q ¹⁄4 of whole note 1 beat 2 beats ¹⁄2 beat

eighth eor E ¹⁄8 of whole note ¹⁄2 beat 1 beat ¹⁄4 beat

sixteenth xor X ¹⁄16 of whole note ¹⁄4 beat ¹⁄2 beat ¹⁄8 beat

thirty-second or R ¹⁄32 of whole note ¹⁄8 beat ¹⁄4 beat ¹⁄16 beat

The complete name in each case ends with the word “note”, such as whole note and half note. Two or more notes can be beamed.

DottingDotted notes receive one and one half their value. Think of it as adding half of the value of the note for the dot. All calculations are 1.5 times the whole note.

name note rest x⁄4 value x⁄8 value x⁄2 value

dotted whole w. 6 beats 12 beats 3 beats

dotted half h. 3 beats 6 beats 1¹⁄2 beats

dotted quarter q. . 1 ¹⁄2 beats 3 beats 3⁄4 beat

dotted eighth e.or E. . 3⁄4 beat 1¹⁄2 beats 3⁄8 beat

dotted sixteenth x.or X. . 3⁄8 beat 3⁄4 beat 3⁄16 beat

Dotted notes can be beamed and secondary beams can be attached to single notes:

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Double-dotted notes. When notes are followed by two dots the second dot adds half as much as the first dot added. This comes out to one and three quarters times the note (X 1.75).

name note rest x⁄4 value x⁄8 value x⁄2 value

double dotted half h.. .. 3 ¹⁄2 beats 7 beats 1 3⁄4 beats

double dotted quarter q.. .. 1 3⁄4 beats 3 ¹⁄2 beats 7⁄8 beat

TupletsPulses occur at different rhythmic levels. They occur at the beat level and in subdivisions, where the beat is divided into equal parts. The subdivisions, such as half beats, can be further subdivided, such as half beats into quarter beats.

Typically, notes of equal value in subdivisions of the beat are joined by beams in groups of two, three or four notes. The most common tuplet is the eighth note triplet, where three notes are played in the time of two:

24

3

3

or

24

3

3

In 4⁄4 or 3⁄4 time, there are two eighth notes or four sixteenth notes per beat:

44

34

compound time signaturesIn compound time signatures, such as 6⁄8 or 12⁄8 time, there is one eighth notes per beat, but they are grouped in twos or threes. In 6⁄8 or 12⁄8 time, eighth notes are usually joined by beams in groups of three:

68

128

changing subdivision

Where a portion of a measure can be subdivided into a number of notes of equal value, tuplets change the subdivision with a bracket or beam and a number indicating a different number of notes in the portion. The number indicates a new number of notes that equally divide the specified portion of the measure.

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duplets

This duplet in 6⁄8 or 12⁄8 time would indicate two notes played in the time of three:

68

2

2

128

2

2

2

2

quadruplets

These quadruplets in 6⁄8 or 12⁄8 time would indicate four notes played in the time of three:

68

4

4

128

4

4

4

4

clarified tuplets

A modern convention for tuplets can clarify the new and old number of notes in the subdivision. Since this is rarely used, the notation could include numbers separated by a colon to indicate four notes in the time of three:

68

4 : 3

4 : 3

128

4 : 3

4 : 3

4 : 3

4 : 3

irregular durations within a subdivision

A number of notes in a tuplet may be represented by a single note, such as using a quarter note to represent two eighth notes. Notice that the bracket must be used for the irregular durations, but is optional for the complete tuplets (such as the tripets with three eighth notes).

44

3

3

3

3

tuplet limits

When the number of notes in the tuplet exceeds twice the number of equal-valued notes in the subdivi-sion, notes of half the value should be used.

Five notes within a beat in 4/4 would not be indicated with eighth notes, since five is over twice as many as the two eighth notes that would normally constitute one beat:

incorrect: 44

5

5

5

5

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They would instead be indicated with sixteenth notes:

correct: 44

5

5

5

5

They could also be clarified by numbers separated with a colon:

clarification: 44

5 : 4

5 : 4

5 : 4

5 : 4

TiesTies add notes of any time value together. They can applied to any two consecutive notes of the same pitch.

=

h.

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METERING RHYTHMIC AUDIO MEMORIES

Four Common ActivitiesA guitarists typically has to multi-task four things: (1) imagine a metronomic beat and its subdivi-sions, (2) set the melodic or comping rhythm you are playing to that your conceptual metronome, (3) determine the pitches you are playing, usually with your fretting hand and (4) determine the strings you are playing the notes on with your picking and plucking hand.

Count, Vocalize, Audio MemoryUse this three-step process to obtain audio memories: (1) count the rhythm (counting and clapping is a good proceedure), (2) vocalize the rhythm, using “ba” for long notes, “bop” notes before a rests, “ah” for sustained pulses and “um” for silent pulses.

In a digital sense, rhythm is generally chosen from a continuous pulse and notes are either “on”, “hold” or “off ” decisions for each pulse.

Audio Memories Must Be Accurately MeteredTo be able to communicate with other musicians and your listeners, you need to play events accurately placed on a “rhythmic grid” or metronomic pulse that is imagined in common with the other musicians and listeners.

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HEARING BEAT SUBDIVISIONS

Humans Can Easily Divide Beats Into Two, Three Or Four PartsHumans are very capable of dividing a regular pulse into subdivisions. Non-musicians can immediately divide beats near the pace of walking (80-140 beats per minute) into two, three or four parts. I have demonstrated subdividing to non-musicians over the years and have found that they can mimick what I have done with relative ease.

Common Beat Subdivisionwhole beats

In common time signatures where the whole note is defined as four beats (by the bottom number in the time signature), a quarter note would get one quarter of four beats: one beat. The symbols for these notes and the ones that follow were shown earlier in Rhythmic Reading.

two, three or four parts per beat

Dividing beats into two parts (in time signuatures with four on the bottom like 4/4) is represented with eighth notes. So, there are two eighth notes per beat.

each note is one beat

4/4 Four Quarters 3/4 Three Quarters

each pair of eighth notes totals one beat

4/4 Four Pairs Of Eighth NotesBeats 1 and 2 are beamed with a thick horizontal line in pairs and on

beats 3 and 4 in a group of four. The time value is the same.

3/4 Three Pairs Of Eighth Notes

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each triplet (a set of three notes) totals one beat

4/4 Four Eighth Triplets 3/4 Three Eighth Triplets

each set of four sixteenth notes totals one beat

4/4 Four Sets Of Sixteenth Notes 3/4 Three Sets Of Sixteenth Notes

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HEARING RHYTHMIC WORDSLike with verbal language, rhythmic words are the components that make up the musical language of rhythm. The most important three-pulse and four-pulse rhythmic words are shown below.

Basic Three-Pulse Rhythmic Words

triplets and swing eighths

Eighth triplets (labeled “triplet” below) play three notes of equal time per beat. Swing eights play the first and third notes in a triplet (and sustain throught the second one. You could sound swing eighths by speaking “1 um and”, “2 um and”, etc., where the “um” is the unplayed middle part of the triplet.

Notice that the “swing eighths” below are first “written out” in triplets and then shown as eighth notes with the interpretation “swing eighths”, which means the same thing: play the first and third note in the triplet.

Triplet (three notes on each beat) Swing Eighth (first and third of each triplet)

afro-cuban and waltz

The “afro cuban” selects the first two parts of a triplet. Triplets can be counted “one trip let”, “two trip let” and so on. The “afro cuban” could be represented by speaking “one trip um”, “two trip um”, etc., to represent the unplayed third part of the triplet with “um”.

The waltz selects the last two parts of the beat. In order to still note the numbered beats, you might could the waltz by speaking the number softly, then “trip let” loudly for each beat. The soft number could indicate the unplayed note at the beginning of each triplet for the “waltz”. The formal meaning of waltz is a European dance song form in 3/4. I’m using the term loosely to describe the subdivision that select the last two parts of a beat. It is typical in a waltz that a bass note plays on the first of three beats in a measure and a chord plays on the last two parts.

Afro-Cuban (on each beat) Waltz (second and third of each triplet)

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combinationsTriplets And Swing Eighths Swing Eighth And Waltz

Basic Four-Pulse Rhythmic WordsAll Four (sets of four eighths) Jingle Bells (two instances)

Gallop (two instances) Creedence (two instances)

combinations All Four, Gallop Jingle Bells, Gallop

Gallop, Jingle Bells Creedence, Jingle Bells

Creedence, Gallop Creedence, All Four

Links To More Rhythmic Wordsrhythmic words: progressive, strumming exercisemelodic rhythms: triplet & 16th, 2-5 note, 6 notecomping rhythms: 4/4 straight, 4/4 swing, 6/8, 12/8

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FOUR-PULSE RHYTHMIC WORDS

“Air Guitar” Strumming While SpeakingStart by moving your hand in the air, in evenly-timed sets of down-up-down-up. The hand should move very regularly like a metronome or pendulum. Speak the selections you intend to make of each set of four. Start by speaking “down-up-down-up”, and “1-2-3-4” alternately. Gradually touch the strings and strum a single chord.

Now reapeat the proceedure for gallop. Speak the selections you intend to make of each set of four. Start by speaking “down-(miss)-down-up”, and “1-um-3-4” alternately. Gradually touch the strings and strum a single chord. You should be missing the strings on the first “up”, which is “2”.

Clap And CountFirst strum the rhythm on all six muted strings, or holding a chord, as described above. Next, narrow the strumming stoke length to three strings, then one string for single-note themes.

After picking a single note theme on one string with the same down up directions as when strumming, apply it to the strings you’ll actually be using to play the part. So far, you’re not playing the actual pitches, but picking on the right strings.

With some themes, you may find it easier to fret the part than imagine which strings it is picked on unless you are reading the tab. If you’re reading the tab, learn to interpret the part according which string numbers each note is written on, not the printed fret number. The bottom tab line is “6”, the top one is “1”.

Finally, play the actual part, including the fretting. Take care to meter the part, meaning make it as even as if played on selected pulses of a metronome. Metering is especially important where you slur: hammer, pull-off, slide or bend. In those cases, the fretting hand is responsible for part of the rhythm. The hands have to work together to make a rhythm selected from a regular pulse.

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all possible four-pulse rhythmic words

nickname

3 or 4 selections

all four

1234

1 2 3 4

1 + 2 +

1 e + a

jingle bells

123

1 2 3

1 + 2

1 e +

gallop

134

1 3 4

1 2 +

1 + a

Creedence

124

1 2 4

1 + +

1 e a

234

2 3 4

+ 2 +

e + a

two selections

12

1 2

1 +

1 e

13

1 3

1 2

1 +

14

1 4

1 +

1 a

23

2 3

+ 2

e +

24

2 4

+ +

e a

34

3 4

2 +

+ a

one selection

1

1

1

1

2

2

+

e

3

3

2

+

4

4

+

a

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Strumming Four-Pulse Rhythmic Words

continuous movement (all four)

strum/pick

primary (whole )beats 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

half beats 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

quarter beats 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

contemporary folk/pop strum number 1

1 3 4 2 3 4 1 3 4 2 3 4

1 2 + + 4 + 1 2 + + 4 +

1 + a e + a 3 + a e + a

contemporary folk/pop strum number 2

1 3 4 2 3 4 1 3 4 2 3

1 2 + + 4 + 1 2 + + 4

1 + a e + a 3 + a e +

Californication double-time verse (part 1)

1 4 1 3 2 3 1 4

1 + 3 4 + 2 3 +

1 a 2 + e + 4 a

Californication double-time verse (part 2)

1 4 1 3 2 3 1 3

1 + 3 4 + 2 3 4

1 a 2 + e + 4 +

Flake

1 4 1 2 3 4 2 4 1 2 3 4

1 + 3 + 4 + + + 3 + 4 +

1 a 2 e + a e a 4 e + a

In Bloom intro/vamp

1 4 1 3 2 3 1 2 3

1 + 3 4 + 2 3 + 4

1 a 2 + e + 4 e +

In Bloom verse (part 1)

1 2 3 4 1 4 1 2 3 4 1 4

1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +

1 e + a 2 a 3 e + a 2 a

In Bloom verse (part 2)

1 2 3 4 1 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

1 e + a 2 a 3 e + a 4 e + a

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Proud Mary intro (part 1)-first row is chord names

C C A A A C C A A A

1 2 4 2 3 1 2 4 2 3

1 + + + 4 1 + + + 4

1 e a e + 3 e a e +

Proud Mary intro (part 2)-first row is chord names

C C A G F F F D F D

1 2 4 2 4 2 3 4 1 3

1 + + + + + 2 + 3 4

1 e a e a e + a 4 +

Should I Stay (after learning, strum all down)

2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1

+ 2 + 3 + 4 + 1

e + a 2 e + a 3

Sweet Child O’ Mine verse

1 4 1 4 1 2 3 4 2 3 4

1 + 3 + 1 + 2 + + 2 +

1 a 2 a 3 e + a e + a

Sympathy For The Devil (conga)

1 3 1 2 3 4 2 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 + 4 + + + 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 e + a e a 4 e + a

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Themes Using Four-Pulse Words

continuous movement (all four)

strum/pick

primary (whole )beats 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

half beats 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

quarter beats 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

19th Nervous Breakdown (part 1)

1 3 1 2 3 4 2 3 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 + 4 + + 2 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 e + a e + 4 e + a

19th Nervous Breakdown (part 2)

2 3 1 2 3 4 2 3 1 2 3

+ 2 3 + 4 + + 2 3 + 4

e + 2 e + a e + 4 e +

Cinnamon Girl (part 1)

1 3 1 2 3 4 2 3 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 + 4 + + 2 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 e + a e + 4 e + a

Cinnamon Girl (part 2)

2 3 1 2 3 4 2 3 4 1 2 3

+ 2 3 + 4 + + 2 + 3 + 4

e + 2 e + a e + a 4 e +

Day Tripper

1 4 1 2 3 4 3 4 2 3 4

1 + 3 + 4 + 2 + + 4 +

1 a 2 e + a + a e + a

I Feel Fine

1 3 1 2 3 4 2 4 2 3 4

1 2 3 + 4 + + + + 4 +

1 + 2 e + a e a e + a

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Life In The Fast Lane (part 1)

1 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 3 1

1 + 2 + 3 4 + 1 + 2 3

1 e + a 2 + a 3 e + 4

Life In The Fast Lane (part 2)

1 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 3

1 + 2 + 3 4 + 1 + 2

1 e + a 2 + a 3 e +

Life In The Fast Lane (part 3)

1 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 3 3 4

1 + 2 + 3 4 + 1 + 2 4 +

1 e + a 2 + a 3 e + + a

Life In The Fast Lane (part 4)

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 1

1 e + a 2 e + 3

Paperback Writer

1 2 3 4 2 3 1 2 4 1 3

1 + 2 + + 4 1 + + 3 4

1 e + a e + 3 e a 4 +

Rebel Rebel

1 3 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 + + + 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 + a e a 4 e + a

Satisfaction

1 3 2 3 4 4 1 2 3

1 2 + 4 + + 3 + 4

1 + e + a a 4 e +

Sunshine Of Your Love

1 2 3 4 2 4 2 4 1 3

1 + 2 + + + + + 3 4

1 e + a e a e a 4 +

Smoke On The Water (part 1)

1 3 1 4 2 4 1

1 2 3 + + + 3

1 + 2 a e a 4

Smoke On The Water (part 2)

1 3 1 4 2

1 2 3 + +

1 + 2 a e

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Suzie Q

1 3 1 2 4 1 3 4 1 2 3

1 2 3 + + 1 2 + 3 + 4

1 + 2 e a 3 + a 4 e +

Taxman (picking shown for no hammer)

1 1 4 1 3

1 3 + 1 2

1 2 a 3 +

Sweet Home Alabama (part 1)

1 3 1 2 4 1 3 1 2 4

1 2 3 + + 1 2 3 + +

1 + 2 e a 3 + 4 e a

Sweet Home Alabama (part 2)

1 3 1 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 a 3 e + a 4 e + a

Walk This Way (part 1)

1 2 3 4 2 3 4 1 3 1 2 3 4

1 + 2 + + 4 + 1 2 3 + 4 +

1 e + a e + a 3 + 4 e + a

Walk This Way (part 2)

1 2 3 4 2 3 4 1 3 4 1

1 + 2 + + 4 + 1 2 + 3

1 e + a e + a 3 + a 4

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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THREE-PULSE RHYTHMIC WORDSAir Guitar, Count And Clap

See “Air Guitar” Strumming While Speaking and Clap And Count in Four-Pulse Rhythmic words section. The same ideas apply to three-pulse rhythmic words.

All Possible Three-Pulse Rhythmic Words

At slow tempos, these are based on all-down. At fast tempos, these are based on alternating down-up-down ( ) and up-down-up ( ).

nickname

2 or 3 selections

first half of six

last half of six

counting by “threes”

one trip let and trip let

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

swing

13

1 3

1 let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

1 trip

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

*sequences of ”123” can be strummed alternating down-up-down ( ) and up-down-up ( ).

one selection

one selection

first half of six

last half of six

counting by “threes”

one trip let and trip let

1

1

1

2

2

trip

3

3

let

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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SIX-PULSE RHYTHMIC WORDSAir Guitar, Count And Clap

See “Air Guitar” Strumming While Speaking and Clap And Count in Four-Pulse Rhythmic words section. The same ideas apply to three-pulse rhythmic words.

Six-Pulse Words With Whole Beats And Pairs Of Half Beatsnickname pair, pair, pair

count halves 1 and 2 and 3 and

strumming

half beats 1 + 2 + 3 +

triplets 1 trip let + trip let

whole, whole, whole

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 let trip

whole, pair, pair

1 2 and 3 and

1 2 + 3 +

1 let + trip let

whole, pair, pair

1 and 2 3 and

1 + 2 3 +

1 trip let trip let

pair, pair, whole

1 and 2 and 3

1 + 2 + 3

1 trip let + trip

whole, whole, pair

1 2 3 and

1 2 3 +

1 let trip let

whole, pair, whole

1 2 and 3

1 2 + 3

1 let + trip

pair, whole, whole

1 and 2 3

1 + 2 3

1 trip let trip

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Six-Pulse Words Made With Two Three Pulse Words

At slow tempos, these are based on all-down. At fast tempos, these are based on alternating down-up-down ( ) and up-down-up ( ).

all three

123*

all down

alternating

count 123 1 2 3

count triplets 1 trip let

all three

123

1 2 3

and trip let

all three with others

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

swing

13

1 3

and let

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

and trip

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

one

1

1

and

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

two

2

2

trip

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

three

3

3

let

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swing with othersswing

13

1 3

1 let

all three*

123*

1 2 3

and trip let

swing

13

1 3

1 let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

and trip

swing

13

1 3

1 let

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

swing

13

1 3

1 let

one

1

1

and

swing

13

1 3

1 let

two

2

2

trip

swing

13

1 3

1 let

three

3

3

let

afro cuban with othersafro-cuban

12

1 2

1 trip

all three*

123*

1 2 3

and trip let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

1 trip

swing

13

1 3

and let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

1 trip

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

1 trip

one

1

1

and

afro-cuban

12

1 2

1 trip

two

2

2

trip

afro-cuban

12

1 2

1 trip

three

3

3

let

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waltz with otherswaltz

23

2 3

trip let

all three*

123*

1 2 3

and trip let

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

swing

13

1 3

1 let

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

and trip

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

one

1

1

1

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

two

2

2

trip

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

three

3

3

let

“one” with othersone

1

1

1

all three*

123*

1 2 3

and trip let

one

1

1

1

swing

13

1 3

1 let

one

1

1

1

afro-cuban

12

1 2

and trip

one

1

1

1

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

one

1

1

1

two

2

2

trip

one

1

1

1

three

3

3

let

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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“two” with otherstwo

2

2

trip

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

two

2

2

trip

swing

13

1 3

1 let

two

2

2

trip

afro-cuban

12

1 2

and trip

two

2

2

trip

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

two

2

2

trip

one

1

1

1

two

2

2

trip

three

3

3

let

“three” with othersthree

3

3

let

all three*

123*

1 2 3

1 trip let

three

3

3

let

swing

13

1 3

1 let

three

3

3

let

afro-cuban

12

1 2

and trip

three

3

3

let

waltz

23

2 3

trip let

three

3

3

let

one

1

1

1

three

3

3

let

two

2

2

trip

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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HEARING PICKUPS AND PUSHES

Anticipating The Next BeatPickups and pushes both antipate the next beat by playing something at the end of the previous beat. I

pickup

In the example below, think of it as four beats, each divided into four parts. The four parts of each beat are numbered in the bottom row, “full groups of four.” The fourth division of the second beat anticipates the third beat. This is called a pickup.

pickup to beat three

strum/pick

selecttion 1 1 4 1 1

full groups of four 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

push

The example below is identical to the one above, except it doesn’t play on beat three. This is called a push. This is often done where a chord is expected to begin on a particular beat (like beat three) and it is played early. Pushes make the music more interesting and contradicts the tyrany of the barline, which can make music too marchlike. There is an art to coordinating pushes. See Comping Strategies.

The stroke on the last division could be a downstroke, since there are so many unplayed pulses. If you replace a downstroke with an upstroke for that reason, you should test your rhythm by selecting from a continous down-up motion, to make sure you are playing the rhythm correctly. (see air guitar strumming”).

push beat three

strum/pick

selecttion 1 1 4

full groups of four 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

chord changes C7 F7

You can also read about pickups and pushes in Comping Rhythm/Varying Rhythm. ©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

back to contents Rhythmic Words And Comping page 119

multiple note pickups and pushes

Pickups commonly involve two or more notes of each value at the end of the previous beat. Here are exaamples of two and three note note pickups and pushes:

original: strumming on beats and and three

strum/pick

selecttion 1 1

full groups of four 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

chord changes C7 F7

two note pickup to beat three

1 1 3 4 1

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

two note push to beat three

1 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

three note pickup to beat three

1 2 3 4 1

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

three note push to beat three

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

irregular pickups and pushes

Pushes and pickups can also be irregular rhythms, not consecutive pulses. The example of a pickup below occurs on the fifth beat and is the “124” rhythmic word, nicknamed “Creedence”.

three note pickup to beat three

1 1 2 4 1

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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FIRST COMPING RHYTHMS

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

4

4

3

4

3

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

3

4

&

whole note half notes all four (quarter notes) jingle bells gallop Creedence

First Comping Rhythms

dividing the bar

&

dotted half note swing at the bar level all three (quarters) Afro Cuban (bar level) waltz

&

whole note half notes whole note all four (quarter notes)

mixing divided bars

&

whole note jingle bells whole note gallop whole note Creedence

&

half notes whole note half notes all four (quarter notes)

&

half notes jingle bells half notes gallop half notes Creedence

+ + + V V V V V V + + V V V + V

+ ™ + V V V V V + Œ V V

+ + + + V V V V

+ V V + + + V V + V + V

+ + + + + V V V V

+ + V V + + + + V V + + V + V

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back to contents Rhythmic Words And Comping page 121

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

&

dotted half swing at the bar level dotted half all three (quarters)

&

dotted half Afro Cuban (bar) dotted half waltz

&

swing (bar) dotted half swing (bar) all three (quarters)

&

swing (bar) Afro Cuban (bar) swing (bar) waltz

&

all three (quarters) dotted half all three (quarters) swing (bar)

&

all three (quarters) Afro Cuban (bar) all three (quarters) waltz

+ ™ + V + ™ V V V

+ ™ V + + ™Œ V V

+ V + ™ + V V V V

+ V V + + V ΠV V

V V V + ™ V V V + V

V V V V + V V V ΠV V

First Comping Rhythms

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™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

4

4

&

Afro Cuban (bar) dotted half Afro Cuban (bar) swing (bar)

&

Afro Cuban (bar) all three (quarters) Afro Cuban (bar) waltz

&

waltz dotted half waltz swing at the bar level

&

waltz all three (quarters) waltz Afro Cuban (bar)

(continued on the next page)

V + + ™ V + + V

V + V V V V + ΠV V

Œ V V + ™Œ V V + V

ΠV V V V V ΠV V V +

First Comping Rhythms

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1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +

1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +

1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +

4

4

3

4

3

4

4

4

&

all four all four gallop gallop jingle bells jingle bells

Note that the eighths notes can be beamed (with the thick

horizontal line) in pairs or quads. It sounds the same.

dividing beats

&

gallop all four gallop jingle bells jingle bells all four jingle bells gallop

&

Creedence Creedence Creedence all four Creedence gallop Creedence jingle bells

Note that the second event is a whole beat,

written as a quarter note or two eighths tied.

It sounds the same either way.

&

three pairs of eighths

the term "pair" refers to a pair of eighth notes below

quarter, pair, pair pair, quarter, pair pair, pair, quarter

&

quarter, quarter, pair quarter, pair, quarter pair, quarter, quarter

&

quarter, Creedence Creedence, quarter "one" and "three ands" "one" and "three ands" "one" and "three ands"

V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

VJ

V VJ

V V V V VJ

V VJ

V V V V VJ

V VJ

V V V VJ

V VJ

V V V

V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

V V V V V V V V V V V V

V VJ

V VJ

VJ

V VJ

V VJ

V VJ

V V VJ

V VJ

V V VJ

V VJ

V V

First Comping Rhythms

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©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

1 2 3 1 2 3

4

4

4

4

4

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

4

4

&

whole note half notes whole note all four (quarter notes)

mixing divided bars

&

whole note jingle bells whole note gallop whole note Creedence

&

half notes whole note half notes all four (quarter notes)

&

half notes jingle bells half notes gallop

&

half notes Creedence dotted half note swing at the bar level

&

dotted half note all three (quarters) dotted half note Afro Cuban (bar level)

&

dotted half note waltz

+ + + + V V V V

+ V V + + + V V + V + V

+ + + + + V V V V

+ + V V + + + + V V

+ + V + V + ™ + V

+ ™ V V V + ™ V +

+ ™Œ V V

First Comping Rhythms

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™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 2 3 4 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

™™ ™™ ™™ ™™

1 2 3 4 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 2 3 4 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

4

4&

whole note gallop gallop half notes gallop all four

mixing divided bars and divided beats (dual rhythmic levels)

&

Creedence gallop all four Creedence Creedence gallop

go to Rhythmic Words And Comping/Comping for 4/4 stylistic examples

+ V V V V V V + + V V V V V V V

V + V V V V V V V V V + V VJ

V VJ

V V V

First Comping Rhythms

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KICK AND SNARE RHYTHMSOctopus’ Garden verse

Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution (98), The Furor (98), Octopus’ Garden verse (90), Enter Samdman theme (122)

Day Tripper VerseDay Tripper verse (140)

Day Tripper ThemeDay Tripper theme (140), Last Child (87)

Green RiverGreen River (140)

Louie LouieLouie Louie (123), Pork And Beans (120), If I Fell (110), The Night Before (168)

You Shook Me All Night Long chorusYou Shook Me All Night Long chorus (125)

TaxmanTaxman (122)

Just A Girl verse

Just A Girl verse (105)

No Sleep Tonight Just A Girl bridgeJust A Girl bridge (210), A Hard Day’s Night verse (142), I’ll Play The Blues For You (96), Oh! Pretty Woman (106), More Than A Feeling Theme (108), Shake It Up (148), Fortunate Son (134)

Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit verse (118),

All The Small Things theme & verse (148)

Come As You Are

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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COMPING RHYTHMSVarying Rhythm

Learn to elaborate rhythms with pushes and pickups; insertions on “empty” beats; replacing quarter notes with pairs of eighth notes or triplets; omiting ties. Where there is enough space in time, use con-secutive syncopations. Learn more in Rhythmic Themes and Layers.

push When a note or chord is played a half beat early, on the “and” before the numbered beat, it is called a push. This is where, for example, a chord would be played on the “and of 2” before three, instead of on “3”, not additionally on “3”.

A “rest push” is played before the beat (usually on the “and”) where the is a silence on the beat it precedes. A “sustain push” is played before the beat (usually on the “and”) and sustains onto the next beat.

accent on 3

push 3

In the “Charleston” example below, the note on the and of two (the “and” after two) pushes the third beat, conceptually modifying two half notes (two beats each) by playing the second note “early” on the and of two. Otherwise, there would have been a note on “one” and another on “three”. Notice that the beats could be divided evenly with straight eighths or with a two-thirds and one third ratio with swing eighths. With swing eighths, the first of each pair of counting syllables (a number and an and, such as “1 +”) on a beat gets two of three pulses and the second pulse gets the last of three pulses.

Charleston, Steppin’ Out - (straight eighths) Charleston, Steppin’ Out *(swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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add a note on an “empty” beat

In the Charleston example above, there is no note on “4”. The “Blues By Five” example below adds a note on “four”. Like the Charleston, it is shown both with straight eighths and swing eighths.

Blues By Five (straight eighths) Blues By Five *(swing eighths)

pickupIf a chord is played on the “and of 2” and on “3” as well, it would be called a pickup. So a pickup for beat “2” would play on the “and of 1” and also on “2”, while a “push” for beat two would only play on the “and of 1” and not on “2”.

pickup to three

pickup to one

Now we’ll play before beat “4”, as well as on beat “4” in the example below.

Blues By Five, Pickup To Four (straight eighths) Blues By Five, Pickup To Four (swing eighths)

replacing quarter notes with eighths or triplets

In the Clave 3-2 rhythm below, there is a note on the second beat of the second bar.

(Son) Clave 3-2 (straight eighths) (Son) Clave 3-2 (swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Now the quarter note (a one beat note) on the second beat of the second bar is replaced with a pair of eighth notes (a half beat each). This makes the “I Shot The Sheriff chorus” rhythm.

I Shot The Sheriff chorus (3-2 Clave var.) *(straight) (clave 3-2 straight eighths with pair of eighths on beat 2 of second bar)

I Shot The Sheriff chorus (3-2 Clave var.) (swing) (clave 3-2 swing eighths with pair of eighths on beat 2 of second bar)

omit ties

A tie is a curved line that connects two notes horizontally in music notation to indicate that they sustain continuously, without an attack on the second note. In other words, they functionally become one note. The Blues By Five Push Four rhythm below has ties both on the “and of two” (the “+” after two) and the “and of three” (the “+” after three).

Blues By Five, Push Four (straight eighths) Blues By Five, Push Four (swing eighths)

=

By omitting the tie on the “and of three” in the Blues By Five Push Four example, you then play both on the “and of three” and on four, making one note into two (shown earlier). This is shown below.

Blues By Five, Pickup To Four (straight eighths) Blues By Five, Pickup To Four (swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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consecutive syncopations

Syncopation is the most significant rhythmic attribute than African music added to American music. It sounds modern (nineteenth century and forward) and “cool” to play consecutive syncopations. The Black Magic Woman Electric Piano 1 example below makes this variation on the Charleston rhythm.

Black Magic Woman electric piano 1 *(straight eighths) Black Magic Woman electric piano 1 (swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Duple Time Comping Rhythms In Straight And Swing Eighths

the Charleston (Blues By Five) family

Charleston, Steppin’ Out - (straight eighths) Charleston, Steppin’ Out *(swing eighths)

Blues By Five (straight eighths) Blues By Five *(swing eighths)

Bomba (Blues By Five, add three) (straight eighths) Bomba (Blues By Five, add three) (swing eighths)

Blues By Five, Push Four (straight eighths) Blues By Five, Push Four (swing eighths)

Blues By Five, Pickup To Four (straight eighths) Blues By Five, Pickup To Four (swing eighths)

Brown-Eyed Girl *(straight eighths) Brown-Eyed Girl (swing eighths)

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Blues By Five, Pair On Four (straight eighths) Blues By Five, Pair On Four (swing eighths)

Blues By Five, Pair On One (straight eighths) Blues By Five, Pair On One (swing eighths)

Black Magic Woman elec. piano 1 *(straight eighths) Black Magic Woman elec. piano 1 (swing eighths)

Black Magic Woman elec. piano 2 *(straight eighths) Black Magic Woman elec. piano 2 *(swing eighths)

Blue Monk (straight eighths) Blue Monk *(swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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the Evil Ways family

Evil Ways chorus *(straight eighths) Evil Ways chorus (swing eighths)

Backbeat, Pickup To Four (straight eighths) Backbeat, Pickup To Four (swing eighths)

Corcovado, Favela, Once I Loved *(straight eighths) Corcovado, Favela, Once I Loved (swing eighths)

Flintstones (straight eighths) Flintstones *(swing eighths)

Desafinado *(straight eighths) Desafinado (swing eighths)

Time Of Your Life *(straight eighths) Time Of Your Life (swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Evil Ways/Charleston *(straight eighths) Evil Ways/Charleston (swing eighths)

the reggae family

Reggae Guitar *(straight eighths)

Reggae Guitar (swing eighths)

D’Yer Ma’ker *(straight eighths) D’yer Ma’ker (swing eighths)

I Shot The Sheriff verse *(straight eighths) I Shot The Sheriff verse (swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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the clave family

First, learn the clave 3-2. With it and with each of its three variations, the rumba clave, I Shot The Sheriff and Black Orpheus, trade the two bars to make a second rhythm.

(Son) Clave 3-2 (straight eighths) (Son) Clave 3-2 (swing eighths)

(Son) Clave 2-3 (straight eighths) (Son) Clave 2-3 (swing eighths)(clave 3-2 straight eighths with traded bars) (clave 3-2 straight eighths with traded bars)

Rumba Clave 3-2 (straight eighths) Rumba Clave 3-2 (swing eighths)(clave 3-2 straight eighths with third ntoe on “+ of 4”) (clave 3-2 swing eighths with third note on “+ of 4”)

Rumba Clave 2-3 (straight eighths) Rumba Clave 2-3 (swing eighths)Palito/Cascara-high part *(straight eighths) Palito/Cascara-high part (swing eighths)(rumba clave 3-2 straight eighths with traded bars) (rumba clave 3-2 straight eighths with traded bars)

Black Orpheus, Meditation, Blue Bossa *(straight) Black Orpheus, Meditation, Blue Bossa (swing)(clave 3-2 straight eighths with last note on “+ of 3”) (clave 3-2 swing eighths with last note on “+ of 3”)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Black Orpheus 2-3 (straight) Black Orpheus 2-3 (swing)(clave 2-3 straight eighths with last note on “+ of 3”) (clave 2-3 swing eighths with last note on “+ of 3”)

I Shot The Sheriff chorus *(straight eighths) I Shot The Sheriff chorus (swing eighths)(clave 3-2 straight eighths with pair of eighths on beat 2 of second bar) (clave 3-2 swing eighths with pair of eighths on beat 2 of second bar)

I Shot The Sheriff, “flipped” (straight eighths) I Shot The Sheriff, “flipped” (straight eighths)(I Shot The Sheriff choerus, straight eighths with traded bars) (I Shot The Sheriff chorus, swing eighths with traded bars)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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good for bossa nova (samba)

Bossa Nova/Samba *(straight eighths) Bossa Nova/Samba (swing eighths

Wave *(straight eighths) Wave (swing eighths)

Girl From Ipanema *(straight eighths) Girl From Ipanema (swing eighths)

Triste, Oye Como Va *(straight eighths) Triste, Oye Como Va (swing eighths)

Guaguanco Bell *(straight eighths) Guaguanco Bell *(swing eighths)

Cold Sweat ( Jimmy Nolan-gtr.) *(straight eighths) Cold Sweat ( Jimmy Nolan-gtr.) (swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Lust For Life *(straight eighths) Lust For Life (swing eighths)

Are You Gonna Be My Girl *(straight eighths) Are You Gonna Be My Girl (swing eighths)

No Sleep Tonight *(straight eighths) No Sleep Tonight (swing eighths)

Torn *(straight eighths) Torn (swing eighths)

Look To The Sky *(straight eighths) Look To The Sky (swing eighths)

Walk On The Wild Side *(straight eighths) Walk On The Wild Side (swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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others

Freefallin’ *(straight eighths) Freefallin’ (swing eighths)

I Got Rhythm (straight eighths) I Got Rhythm *(swing eighths)

Soukous (Congo or Lingala)*(straight eighths) Soukous (Congo or Lingala) (swing eighths)

Seven Come Eleven (straight eighths) Seven Come Eleven *(swing eighths)

Salt Peanuts (straight eighths) Salt Peanuts *(swing eighths)

Salt Peanuts - sustain end (straight eighths) Salt Peanuts - sustain end*(swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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C-Jam Blues (straight eighths) C-Jam Blues *(swing eighths)

C-Jam Blues - sustain end (straight eighths) C-Jam Blues - sustain end *(swing eighths)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Triple Time Comping Rhythms Shown In 4/4 With Triplets and 12/8

combining triplets and swing eighths

Eighth Note Triplets (4/4 with triplets) Eighth Notes in 12/8 (4 sets of 3)

Swing Eighths (4/4 with triplets) Swing Eighths Equivalent in 12/8

Offbeat Blues Shuffle (4/4 with triplets) Offbeat Blues Shuffle (12/8)

Triplets And Swing Eighths (4/4 with triplets) Triplets And Swing Eighths (12/8)

Swing Eighths And Triplets (4/4 with triplets) Swing Eighths And Triplets (12/8)

I’m A Man, Roadhouse Blues (4/4 with triplets) I’m A Man, Roadhouse Blues (12/8)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Blues Power (4/4 with triplets) Blues Power (12/8)

Sex Machine (4/4 swing with triplets) Sex Machine (12/8)

Done Somebody Wrong (4/4 swing with triplets) Done Somebody Wrong (12/8)

Stormy Monday (4/4 swing with triplets) Stormy Monday (12/8)

I Put A Spell On You (4/4 with triplets) I Put A Spell On You (12/8)

Smokestack Lightning (4/4 with triplets) Smokestack Lightning (12/8)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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triplets and swing eighths with backbeat

Blues Shuffle With Backbeat (4/4 with triplets) Blues Shuffle With Backbeat (12/8)

optionally strum all down for more drive optionally strum all down for more drive

Swing Eighths On Backbeat (4/4 swing eighths) Swing Eighths On Backbeat (12/8)

Sparse Shuffle With Backbeat (4/4 with triplets) Sparse Shuffle With Backbeat (12/8)

Backbeat, Swing On Three (4/4 with triplets) Backbeat, Swing On Three (12/8)

=

Rock Me Baby (4/4 with triplets) Rock Me Baby (12/8)

Triplets And Backbeat (4/4 with triplets) Triplets And Backbeat (12/8)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Trip Back, Swing Back (4/4 with triplets) Trip Back, Swing Back (12/8)

Swing Back, Trip Back (4/4 with triplets) Swing Back, Trip Back (12-8)

Polyrhythmic Afro-Cuban

Bernard Purdie Half Time Shuffle (4/4 with triplets) Bernard Purdie Half Time Shuffle (12/8)

Bembe (4/4 with triplets) Bembe (12/8)

Adowa (4/4 with triplets) Adowa (12/8)

Bitkusi, Abakwa (4/4 with triplets) Bitkusi, Abakwa (12/8)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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Bembe Clave (4/4 with triplets) Bembe Clave (12/8)

Bembe Cowbell (4/4 with tripets) Bembe Cowbell (12/8)

Six Eight Feel (4/4 with triplets) Six Eight Feel (12/8)

©1998-2014 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved.

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